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The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanvillc, March 26,1997 t> I Page 4 f I)e Cattabtan Statesman Former Publishers and Partners Rev. John M. Climie and W. R. Climie 1854 -1878 M. A. James, 1878 -1935 • Norman S. B. James, 1919 -1929 G. Elena James, 1929 -1947 • Dr. George W. James, 1919 -1957 Produced weekly by James Publishing Company Limited P.O. Box 190,62 King St. W., Bowmanvillc, Ontario L1C 3K9 905-623-3303 lnternet-statesman@ocna.org Fax 905-623-6161 HOURS: Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. For 142 Years, Our First Concern Has Been Our Community Publisher - John M. James Assoc. Publisher - Rick James Plant Manager - Rick Patterson Ad. Manager - Brian G. Purdy Editor - Peter Parrott Production Supervisor - Ralph Rozema, Suzanne Bennett, Sharon Cole, Laurens Kaldeway, Doug Lugtenburg, Barb Patterson, Jim Snoek, Vance Sutherland, Jim Tuuramo Advertising Editorial Laveme Morrison Brad Kelly, Lorraine Manfredo, Laura J. Richards Office Supervisor-Angela Luscher, Junia Hodge, Grace McGregor, Nancy Pleasance-Sturman, Marilyn Rutherford, Sharilyn Carnegie Downtown Needs Refurbishing A $1.3 million plan to refurbish Bowmanville's downtown core was unveiled this month at the annual meeting of the Bowmanvillc Downtown Business Improvement Area. It is a timely move. The fact is that the commercial face of Bowmanvillc is changing, and the historic downtown will have increasing competition. This is inevitable. In a free country, the shape of a community is pretty much decided by the economy. Some of us might prefer to sec a community consisting entirely of bou- tique-type stores in century-old buildings. However, the folks with money to invest arc also putting up shopping malls and fast food outlets. And, while a community can encourage certain certain types of business and discourage others, it really can't stop the tide of development which is occurring across North America. The inevitability of additional commercial development in Bowmanvillc is also the result of population growth. Clarington is a community that is closing quickly on a population population of 60,000. Even if it were possible, would it be in the best interest of the town to limit all stores to an area not much larger larger than the place where people shopped 100 years ago? (At a time when the town was about ten times smaller than it is today?) It's time to end the debate over shopping malls versus . downtown businesses because, like it or not, the debate is over. The big plazas and malls are either here or on the way. The question now is how to strengthen the downtown core of Bowmanvillc and give the community the best of two worlds. With some foresight, planning, favorable funding, cooperation cooperation and good luck, Bowmanvillc can have both a historic downtown and shopping plazas. This doesn't have to be an either/or situation. - Let's project ourselves five years into the future and consider consider what might be. By that time, there will be a large scale shopping/entertainment facility at the corner of Highway 57 and Highway Two, drawing customers from the entire Durham Region and beyond. This hub of activity will include a twin ice pad, the recently-completed cinemas and the shopping centre on the south side of Highway Two. To the east end of Bowmanville, there will be the existing Bowmanvillc Mall and, in between, the historic downtown core. The challenge for the downtown is to create a unique shopping shopping experience which will complement the other stores. Already, much has been done in this regard. The Bowmanville BIA holds annual events such as the Maple Syrup Festival, the Apple Fest, and Sidewalk Sale, not to mention the annual Christmas Tree-Lighting evening and a number of other events which coincide with the different seasons. If seems to us that Bowmanville can be a town where there are both large-scale plazas outside of the core, plus shops in the downtown which provide either specialized products and services or the specialized, personal service that has kept the downtown thriving since the day Bowmanville was founded. ^.Preservation of the downtown will be assisted by efforts such as the planned $1.3 million face-lift which will improve the strectscape and add atmosphere as the result of specialized signs and lighting, plus the cobblestone-style walkways. The downtown would also be enhanced by additional condominium condominium projects on the drawing board. These would. guarantee there are more people living in the heart of Bowmanville and would ensure it is not going to become a place'that becomes empty when the shops lock up in the evening. Keeping Clarington's municipal administration centre (some of us call it the Town Hall) in the downtown will also help maintain the central business district. The new Rotary Park, with its gazebo/bandstand, the Bowmanville Museum, library and churches also add to the flavor of the downtown and help ensure that it is a "people place." Another intriguing idea raised at the BIA annual meeting was a Farmers' Market at the vacant lot near the Temperance St./King St. intersection. The downtown has potential. It is up to those of us who enjoy the downtown to ensure that potential is achieved. With last week's announcement of a possible face-lift downtown and all the other efforts that have been underway for the past decade and more, there is ample evidence we are headed headed in the right direction. Letter to the Editor Livestock Not Being Attacked by Wolves To the editor of the Statesman Reading Laura Richards' article on the livestock "slaughter," it is apparent that some people never fully recover from the impact of hearing "Little Red Riding Hood" as a child. Unfortunately, the image of the wolf as the big, bad villain villain continues to permeate our society, despite all evidence evidence to the contrary. While I don't doubt that the farmer in question may indeed be having a problem with livestock depredation, the article seems short on factual evidence and long on hysteria, The fact is that wolves do not occur in the Clarington area. A comprehensive biological biological study of the province this decade failed to find any evidence whatsoever of wolves occurring south of Lindsay. Ontario's wolf population population is limited to remote, densely-forested tracts of the north. What we do have is coyotes. coyotes. However, as these creatures creatures weigh only half of what a wolf docs and typically hunt alone rather than in packs, it is difficult to believe that they could pose a threat to full-grown livestock, livestock, They arc also loo wary of humans to be readily seen standing around in fields near houses. Which leads me to conclude that the "villains" are most likely packs of wild dogs, household pets either turned loose or abandoned by irresponsible irresponsible owners. These animals animals will form large packs and lack the fear of humans found in their native, wild cousins. Hence they might well attack livestock and appear indifferent to people they encounter, I would like to hear what the Ministry of Natural Resources or CLOCA has to say on the matter. In short, while I do sympathize sympathize with the farmer, since there is apparently compensation for him and since you report the law allows for nuisance predators predators (like the ones he's encountering) to be shot, I would urge Mayor Hamrc and her council not to advocate advocate spending taxpayers' money on bounties, which might result in the entirely needless slaughter of wildlife,..and consult some biologists before crying "Wolf!" Dave Rttch Oshawa EDITOR'S NOTE: You make a very eloquent case for the (genuine) wolves. Outlook Belonging to BIA is A Real Bargain Regardless of Cost by Laura J. Richards Farm Articles We have been working hard since January to bring this year's selection of farm articles for you. So please, grab a coffee, coffee, sit down in your most comfortable chair, and read this year's informative stories which appear in the special agriculture agriculture pages of this newspaper. Additional stories which we have written, but did not quite fit on the farm pages, will be used elsewhere in the Statesman/Independent over the next few weeks. There has been a great deal of development in Clarington over the past seven years. For instance, when I began working here, the property at the northeast of Courtice Road, between Hwy 2 and Nash Road was a pretty field with a creek winding through it. How times change! So, here's the chance to read about a dairy farm, farmers on the Internet, a simplified look at a cow's journey from farm to the meat counter, and other informative stories. Perhaps they will help some of our new residents get the feel for the world of agriculture in Clarington. BIA's Annual Meeting On Tuesday night, March 18, the annual BIA general meeting meeting was held. There were some comments to the effect that people dislike being a part of the BIA because they consider their taxes are already too high. The added tax makes it hard to earn a buck, it was noted by one of the business owners. A phone call to the municipal tax collector, Ruth Swan, on Thursday showed the larger property owners paid about $3,000 each to the BIA in 1996. On the low end of the scale, someone with a small office would pay about $90. In my opinion, paying out an extra say, $700 to $1,000 a year, to an organization that puts together some fabulous downtown festivals which bring in hundreds of people, is a bargain. Actions Needed on Spousal Abuse Dear Sir: The interview with P.C. Laurie O'Brien entitled, 'Police Crack Down on Spousal Abuse' featured in February 12th, has led some women who have lived in abusive relationships to bring in some comments to me and ask me to share them with your readers. It is encouraging to hear that the Regional Police are becoming 'more aware of the issue' of spousal abuse, which in the majority of cases means woman abuse. It is not clear however, how writing up a report about every case '...that sounds like spousal abuse', will be effective effective in preventing or stopping such abuse. P.C O'Brien is quite correct correct in saying that it often takes women a long time before they will take any action to end an abusive relationship. relationship. It also takes a lot of courage. What my informants tell me regarding their expectations expectations of the police in regards to their situation is as follows: They want to be sure of a prompt response from the police, not a cruiser arriving an hour or two later. They want to be taken seriously seriously when they give a statement. statement. They want to be taken seriously by the, interviewing and the investigating officérs, even though there are no witnesses witnesses to what happened and/or little or no physical evidence. ■> They want to feel confident confident that the 1 police will enforce court orders which restrict their abusers from coming near them and/or their children. ■ They want to know that when they call the police for help on the fifth or sixth occasion, occasion, more will happen than another entry being made in the report. They would like to know what is mentioned in these reports and what action is taken on them. There arc many fine words said and good procedures laid down regarding spousal abuse, but what I am hearing is that, for whatever reason, in the end there are ■ not enough actions which make all the difference in protecting protecting the abused and in deter ring the abusers. Sincerely, Mervyn Russell EDITOR'S NOTE - It sounds like there is still much to be done. Lunar Eclipse So, did everyone get a chance to check out the sky Sunday night, to watch the shadow of the earth black out the moonlight? moonlight? It's no wonder our ancestors thought the darkened moon was an ill omen -- an eclipse casts an eerie glow back to Mother Earth. It was quite interesting to sec the comet too. It can still be viewed in the northwest quadrant as a white-blue dot with a smudge for a tail. But, get out early, just after the moon is out, because the comet falls behind the trees quickly. / Church Not Immune Dog Using Properly As Personal Lavatory Dear Sir: I write in support of last week's letter about dog poop in the schoolyard. We at St. George's Church in Newcastle request the help of your readers in dealing with our own problem of this nature. What would appear to be a very large dog is using the grounds around the church and hall for its personal personal lavatory. Not only do the huge piles of dog poop not improve the appearance of our property, but they make it hazardous for the Sunday School children to play outside. outside. Any information which would enable us to identify the dog and owner in question would be greatly appreciated and if, heaven forbid, the owner is one of your readers, let me just say, "Stoop and Scoop - please". Sincerely, The Reverend Ann Tottenham Newcastle EDITOR'S NOTE - Yuck! LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Canadian Statesman encourages our readers to make use of the letters to the editor column to express their opinions and viewpoints on just about any subject, as we feel a lively letters column helps make a better community newspaper, We insist, however, that all letter writers sign their name, Sorry, no anonymous letter will be printed, Report from Queen's Park ■ by John O'Tooli • MPP Proposes Amendment to Protect Non-teaching Jobs • This week, I am asking you a question which may seem rather arbitrary. Do you think public hearings arc important? First, let me explain the process. The three party house leaders decide which legislation will travel the province to receive public input. These decisions are made in series of trades to allow all parties the opportunity opportunity to oppose or support certain certain legislation. As I described last week, there is a lot of legislation and only so much time for public input. Once the leaders decide which legislation will travel, each party is allowed to canvass canvass their supporters to make presentations to the standing committees. The house leaders also decide which cities will be visited. Usually, there arc more requests to make presentations presentations than there is time to hear all requests. At the end of this process, all three parties parties are represented on each, committee. Usually, there are between eleven to fourteen members on each committee with the majority coming from the government caucus. There arc also legislative staff, the clerk and research personnel, hansard recorders and translators, translators, The entire group comprises comprises some twenty people. In my estimation for the four days travel of the entire group, it probably costs in excess of $25,000.00. There are often four such committees travelling, travelling, so the cost is probably over $100,000.00 per week. They arc your tax dollars and democracy does not come cheap. By the way, our government government has changed the committee committee process so that now, elected members no longer receive the extra $100.00 per day for committee work. It is now part of our regular duty, as it should he, This past week, I travelled with the Standing Committee on Social Development to Ottawa, Thunder Bay, Sudbury and Barrie. We received some 30 submissions submissions each day on Bill 104, The Fewer School Boards Act 1997. The main issues in the north were the large geographical geographical size of the new boards, the new French Language District School Boards' need for extra funding funding for French and the lack of access to technology like Internet and digital telephone systems. There is a lot of legislation and only so much time for public input. In all honesty, some of the new boards will be larger than some other provinces. In Eastern Ontario, distance as well as rural versus urban differences differences were the topics. In Southern Ontario, the large number of students per board as well as concern for fair representation by trustees. We also heard that the $5,000,00 cap on the trustee honorarium was an issue. Generally, the Educational Improvement Commission (EIC), which is a non-elcclcd appointed commission chaired by David Cooke and Ann Vanstonc was thought to have too much power with no appeal process. The CUPE delegations were concerned about the possibility of their non-teaching non-teaching jobs being considered for out-sourcing, The Ontario Parent Council, which was pul in place by previous government, government, was supportive of the idea that school councils would have more involvement involvement in school governance, Some parent councils felt they needed more training to be effective. Many teacher organizations organizations made presentations about the rights of their union members with respect to class size and preparation time, but generally these issues are not part of Bill 104. There will be future legislation on teachers' collective bargaining. I enjoyed the exercise of listening to the over 100 presentations presentations and agree that I did hear valid suggestions which I am confident will result in amendments to Bill 104, I personally have made suggestions suggestions to amend the EIC and its power without appeal, the importance of rural represen- ■ tativc by trustees, perhaps the trustee pay should be increased and I agree that both parents and students should be represented on the school council and have access to proper training, as do trustees when they arc first elected. I heard from many excellent teachers who really do care about how our proposed proposed changes might effect the classroom. We must get this legislation right. No government government wants to leave a legacy where our children's education and future might be at risk. I was impressed by the presentations by Sharroh Summers, Chair of the Victoria County Board of Education as well as Ruth Ann Scliedlich and Bobbie Drew, Trustees from the Durham Board of Education. It is my view that the five Boards of Education in my riding of Durham East arc generally operated well and spend less than the provincial average. We will have fewer boards and equity of funding throughout Ontario once this legislation is passed. In conclusion, I have proposed proposed a resolution which will recognize the rights of our non-teaching school custodians, custodians, secretaries and educational educational assistants. I am confident confident that this section of Bill 104, 335 (I) will he amended.